Boyce Thompson Arboretum Spring 2026, ...Take #2.

[Silas_Sancona]

Non - palmy highlights from this springs' check in up at Boyce..  Random stuff first,  Standouts later. 

As expected, hot, dry winter we experienced has rushed the flowering season compared to past years at this time.  While there were some around, obviously, dry winter = few native things to be found, let alone in flower right now. 

Still,    lots of stuff to see and enjoy, even during a spring like this.  A few " haven't seen this / these " flowering here " observations as well..  




Staying kinda palmy for a sec,  some coning Dioon edulis  in one of the courtyard gardens.. 






Dioon and Cycas with the Sabals..




 Hechtia sp, i believe ..but could be wayyy off. 







Puya  " ..i can't remember which sp atm "   ..missed seeing open flowers by a day. 









Hybrid Roses,   for the Rose Admirers..








Bear's Breeches,  Acanthus mollis.    Not the biggest fan of these " ho hum " plants but, ..interesting to see them doing well here.. 




Melianthus comosus




Not sure what facet of this years' winter triggered it but the garden's Pineapple Guava " wall " is currently smothered in flowers..  

...Will be interesting to see what level of fruit production this apparent " boom " cycle results in. 









" California Connection "  Marah gilensis.  weaving it's way up through the Feijoa..   California connection? = because the Genus is CA - centric /endemic,  with only one sp extending up into the PAC. N.W., and only one sp. expending southeast into AZ and far western NM.  ..Which occurred when AZ's past climate was similar to present CA. 

Another sp. may extend down into Mexico ( M. micrantha )



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Silas_Sancona]

Still Unknown IDs




Lonciera sp.




Ulei, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Hawaiian origin. 



Aloes, galore..








Wonder what happened here. 




..Speaking of which,  Aloeodendron x " Hurcules " getting bigger....







Near- Native Coccoloba goldmanii looking pretty nice after a frost -less- winter.  Rougher textured, colorful new leaf color = should be well known in local landscapes already..











Impressively - sized Celtis reticulata ( Net - Leaved Hackberry )  We really should be planting these in parks instead of Sissoo.  Take the same amount of irrigation. 






Various, late - flowering Iris.. " late " flowering this year anyway....

Iris ..Pretty sure this is a Spuria section cultivar..




Iris, Bearded / Germanica hybrids.






Aril- Bred Cultivar..








One of the epiphytic " Cereus Fam. " genus.. Possibly a Selenicereus sp.








The famous " Tunnel o' Myrtle, "  Myrtus communis. 






...Where we're heading next.... 






>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Silas_Sancona]

....Before we get there,  summore' randos.. 

Various Agave and Cacti...









A. chrysantha  ..Most likely..






NOID Agave.. 




A. schottii..




Another NOID..







Ferrocactus pilosus  ..and friends..









Cylindropuntia sp..  Possibly one of the C. thornberi  forms..



Lophocereus gatesii..






Not sure about this kid..











"  Yucca Love "  highlights n' scenes.. 

Y.  filifera...



Y. grandiflora..






Y. brevifolia..




thompsonii??
















Crazy for upside down Carrots..  AKA Boojums... Lookin great this year, despite the winter dryness.








Jatropha dioeca form. 




Appears the garden is getting ready to move ?? / has recently moved to here??   some large Organ Pipe -type Cacti specimens..  





Ceiba sp. up on the hill nearby.. 




Pachycormus discolor..  Note the " branchy "  tiny  Bursera microphylla  to it's right..   Not sure why it is as small as it is currently.  Hopefully a hot wet summer gets it moving..




Phorodendron californicum  danglin'  from Vachellia rigidula..



>>>  >>>>   >>>>>>>>>>>

[Silas_Sancona]

....." Arizona is so dull and boring that even the rocks suck "... 

Chrysocolla and Azurite in matrix. 









Wish my Chrysocolla chunks would weep like these do, lol..



We have lots of rocky spires and Hoodoos here but, in this case,  these chunky bastards you're looking at are the weathered down bones of old, deep Tufa deposits laid down when this area was extremely active volcanically.   



No natural Perlite and imbedded Apache tear Obsidian deposits in accessible parts of  Magma Ridge within the garden  ..that i'm aware of..  but the mine i've visited is within walking distance of this spot in the garden. 

Yes, i stare at rocks,  too..  Very important for plant nerds to know their local Geology.  Rocks are fun to collect as well, ha ha. 

Anyway, .....


Pink -flowered Form of Bauhinia lunaroides





Piscidia mollis, our near -native " Fish Poison Tree "






A few Standout Texas / N.E.'rn Mexico Specialties we should see a lot more of in drier location landscapes throughout the southwest...

Ehretia anacua











Standard, white Flowered Bauhinia lunaroides.. Twist -y Vachellia schaffneri  lurking above and behind it.  



Slim leaf / Nuevo Leon Rosewood, Vauquelinia corymbosa,  Nuevo Leon, MEX.  / Big Bend region of TX.  Really nice form. 




Texas Pistache,  Pistacia mexicana ..Really should be utilizing these in local /nearby drier locale landscapes,  rather than the non native species from Chyy - naaahh, ...or other parts of the Old World. 






Full frontals of the elusive Mimosa martin - delcampoi  in all it's bloomin' glory..   Cat Calls welcome, lol. 















Our favorite TX / N.E. Mex region Legume tree w/ golden balls,  Leucanea retusa...






>>>>>>>>>>  >>>
 

[Silas_Sancona]

....So for as many years as i have been taking mental notes of what grows in the garden here,  one of the " standout " rarities, tree -wise, is a small -ish Legume fam. tree from Africa..    One i was somewhat surprised to see growing in the garden at all < ..Was my assumption that AZ  might be a touch too dry for the genus.   Seems to grow pretty easily in S. Cal though.  >

Regardless, there they were,  growing here and there around the garden, happy as pigs in ....

Still,  despite near yearly visits in the spring,  i'd never seen flowers danglin from any of them,  ..until yesterday..

..I also did not realize the garden has as many specimens as it does  ...until yesterday. 

What is this red flower covered thing lurking behind the Aloes?






Well, ....

Say  'ello to my little Schotia afra.   The highlight of this springs' visit,  and a gem of a tree Genus ( Schotia ) .    Cat calls n' all r' welcome. 






































As vivid as the " near leafless while flowering " specimens are,  no way you or i could miss seeing them..   Far more interesting than flowering Plums / Prune or Quince too. 

...Another intriguing    ...." What element / combination thereof  about this winter triggered these "  mystery..   Again, this is the first time i've seen flowers on any of the gardens' specimens.

Additional huge plus regarding this Genus  ..afra in particular..   Absolute Hummingbird  ..and Oriole... magnet..  Hummingbirds were fighting over favored spots in each specimen seen.   Would bet Common Yellowthroats, Geothlypis trichas   ..a New World, Warbler - esque bird that appears to have recently taught itself how to pollinate Strelitzia  while trying to get at copious nectar in the boat - like portion of the flowers in parts of California  might also be attracted to these. 

Other note -worthy species in the genus include S. brachypetala, and latifolia..  Have seen one ..or both?? ..I honestly can't remember.. in flower in S.Cal in the past..  

Both are generally taller, and have bigger / wider leaflets than S. afra and it's subspecies.

..Another interesting tree / genus of trees local nurseries should be trialing / have been offering for sale for awhile now.

The worn out,  nursery ol' timer   " ....But, buttt  ..it's sloowww.. "   excuse?   Get over it. 



Not quite as showy,  but pretty interesting itself, Bulnesia retema,   a weird Creosote / Guaiacum  relative from Argentina that could pass for a Fire Stick -y, South African Euphorb when seedless / not in flower.






>>>>>>>>>>>>>>








 

[Silas_Sancona]

Final roll call as the days spring walkabout reaches the end..  

White Rhatany, Krameria bicolor..  Flowers look like an Orchid  but the genus lies  within the same plant order ( Zygophyllales ) as Creosote, Guaiacum, and Kallstroemia  < ....And Tribulus  ..the Bleepin'  Goat's head weed that wreaks bike tires  ...and bare feet  >  Genus is also semi- parasitic, often growing near other stuff which it derives some of it's nutrients from.  Tough as nails regardless and a ..somewhat twiggy / spiny < -ish > gem of a smaller bush if you can get it to grow in a garden. 









Erythrostemon palmeri,   bloomin, and full of seed ..but not completely awake yet.  







Western Soapberry grove.. 




Unusual, South American Jatropha sp. with Pseudobombax - like leaves ( ..on others i have seen ), and Bursera - like bark..    Nice to see what the flowers look like before i pick up a couple..








Cottonwood gallery along Queen creek.  Perlite / Apache Tears mine area in view in the distance..






The world famous,  Ayer Lake








Apache leap, and  Boyce Thompson's  House  ..AKA:   the house with the best view in the area..









Some scenes from the Picket Post Mtn Trail Access point nearby  while checking in on some stuff there on the way back down the hill... 


Picket Post = One massive pile of Pumice and Tufa..




Superstition Wilderness in the distance



Weaver's Needle..




..Can't remember the name given to this particular formation..




Alamo Wash..





Dry, crunchy n' dusty,  and not much going on out there now..   Hopefully not for long though. 

Despite that, quite a lot of Butterfly activity already.  While some of them are gearing up down in the valley,  no signs of budding on the Saguaro up here just yet.. Majority of Palo Verde are past peak bloom. 




Aristolochia watsonii   ..Same specimen i've been tracking since 2021.    ..Is also where seed for my plants / all seed sent to others from my specimens  originated..







Dried up ( for now ) remnants of those infamous " Devilish Blondes " ( Proboscidea althaeifolia )..    Since it has been a few years, checking on the colonies growing out here to be sure they're still around / see if any are pushing early growth.. 








Appears this particular specimen got knocked around at some point over the last couple years and a section of it's tap root was partially unearthed and then damaged..   Will survive but,  interesting being able to see ..easily,  without needing to do much digging,  just how thick the tap roots are on these. 




Signs of continued persistence in another colony growing in a different area (  Up on a hillside rather than on a gravel bar near / within a wash ). 




Fingers crossed,  things look much different when i return  in a couple months..





Looking west towards the table tops in the San Tans from Gonzales Pass..  Look closely enough and you can see distant buildings that represent the eastern edge <  ..for now.. >  of Queen Creek and San Tan Valley.. 

How long that edge holds will depend on how quickly the rest of Hwy 24 is built.  Will connect the 202 in Gilbert,  to Hwy 60 / 79 near Gold Canyon once that section is built. 

Will make the trips out here a bit faster too.  Straight shot from the house, vs added drive time having to loop up and around Apache Junction / Gold Canyon currently.


 

[thyerr01]

The Lonicera sp. looks like Lonicera x heckrottii. 

[Silas_Sancona]

17 minutes ago, thyerr01 said:

The Lonicera sp. looks like Lonicera x heckrottii. 

L. x americana " Pam's Pink " crossed my mind but, the growth form seemed to ramble -y for that variety. 

[thyerr01]

I find a lot of those hybrids (the crosses of the European species) all look similar, and inferior to the various native species and selected 'nativars'. I wish L. ciliosa was more widely available online.

[Silas_Sancona]

14 minutes ago, thyerr01 said:

I find a lot of those hybrids (the crosses of the European species) all look similar, and inferior to the various native species and selected 'nativars'. I wish L. ciliosa was more widely available online.

That's a nice sp..  Appears some of the nurseries up in the Pac N.W. sell it from time to time..

L. flava looks interesting as well, ..though i doubt we'd be able to grow it here.  That said,  L. sempervirens  ..one of it's forms at least..  seems to do well if placed in a shaded spot though  ...which is interesting since it is an Eastern - US native.

Not impossible that plants labeled as that species here are actually L. arizonica,    though that sp. seems to be confined to the mountains, which makes me think it might struggle w/ hotter and drier conditions at lower elevations.  

Perhaps what i see in local gardens and have growing here at the house ( had collected a few seeds off the specimen at Boyce ) is a cross between arizonica and sempervirens? 

Agree, they might be wonderfully fragrant but,  ..not a fan of the Euro or Asian Honeysuckles..  Burmese Giant is a sight to behold though.